


Until The Clock Strikes Midnight

by ShanleenKinnJaskey



Category: Ouran High School Host Club - All Media Types
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, M/M, Mystery, Shippy, Until it turns into a pumpkin
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-11-09
Updated: 2014-11-28
Packaged: 2018-02-24 18:43:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,729
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2592239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShanleenKinnJaskey/pseuds/ShanleenKinnJaskey
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What if Tamaki had never started the Host Club?<br/>What if the Hitachiin twins were still locked in their own little world?<br/>What if Kyoya was still the unfeeling, manipulative miser he was before he met Tamaki?<br/>What if Mori and Honey were still focused only on fighting instead of enjoying life?</p><p>What do you think would happen if someone barreled into their lives, disrupting their routines and forcing them to interact?<br/>Someone who was having strange dreams of what would have happened?<br/>How would the boys of Ouran Academy react?<br/>Who would find out the stranger's secret first?</p><p>AND WILL THINGS EVER BE THE SAME?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Fairy Godmother

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Haruhi shows up at Ouran and seems to know more about all of the boys than they do themselves, while Tamaki Suoh seems to have never existed at all...

_"Never say goodbye because saying goodbye means going away_

_and going away means forgetting."_

_-Robin Williams_

 

Kyoya Ootori walked into the empty music room, talking on the phone. Everyday at 3:00 in the afternoon he headed there. It was his place of solitude, where he could get away from all the irritating people he was being forced to befriend in order to ally his family with theirs.

But today was destined to be different.

He walked in and gasped. Someone was at the window, his glasses glinting in the light that had filtered through the gaps in the heavy curtains. He turned when Kyoya came in the room, and Kyoya realized that, despite the atrocious clothing the person was wearing and the ruggedly cut short hair, this person was really a girl. "Sorry," she said, a slight smile on her face, "You're Kyoya Ootori, right?" Without waiting for an answer, as if she already knew it, the girl walked out. "Sorry for disturbing you, Sen-pei," she said, "I'll just leave you alone with your thoughts."

Kyoya stared at the girl, his eyes not leaving the door long after she had left. He could have sworn he had never met the girl before, but she seemed so familiar. And how had she known his name?

***

Hikaru and Kaoru Hitachiin sat a table in the back of the classroom, their heads brushing each other as they quietly whispered over a book. The girls around them whispered quietly. Even after years of going to the same school as the Hitachiin twins, they were still a curiosity. Not that the twins noticed, of course- they were stuck in their own little world, oblivious to the rest of humanity.

Until the day the boy walked up to them and slammed his book down on top of the one they were reading.

They looked up. "Can we help you?" They said in unison, noticing that it was the new honors student, the commoner.

"As a matter of fact, yes, you can," The boy said, "I'm looking for Haninozuka Mitsukuni and Morinozuka Takashi. I thought you might know them." There was a twinkle in the young man's eye, as if he knew a joke that they didn't.

"Why would we know them? They're third years!" The twins said incredulously.

The boy mock-sighed. "Will you tell me if I can guess which one of you is Hikaru?" He asked.

The twins exchanged a glance, eyes wide. Who was this boy? He was already skipping to their trump card, and he was acting if he knew the answer. Then they realized that he could never figure it out, and they smiled slyly, turning back to the boy. "Okay," they said together, "Which one is Hikaru?"

Without missing a beat the boy pointed to the twin on the left side. "This one is Hikaru," He said confidently.

"Uh oh, you got it WRONG!" They shouted.

He smiled. "No, I'm right. You may look identical, but you're quite different. Hikaru the's mischievous one."

Though shocked, they managed to smile. Hikaru responded, "So? The joke's on you, we really don't know anything about Haninozuka Mitsukuni and Morinozuka Takashi."

The boy grinned. "I knew that, so you'll have to do something else for me. Meet me in Music Room #3 tomorrow at 3:00 in the afternoon. There's someone I want you to meet."

They shrugged, trying to disguise their true shock. "Okay," They said together, "We guess that's okay."

"Fine," the boy said, "See you then." Then he picked up his book and left, the twins staring at his back.

"Who is that kid, Hikaru?" Kaoru asked.

"I have no idea," Hikaru replied.

***

"Hello, Honey Sen-Pei," A joyful voice said.

Honey sent out a flying side-kick, knocking down the last of his opponents. Then he turned around to find a boy in a loose sweater and glasses holding a stack of books. "May I help you, young man?" Honey said.

The boy set down his books and pulled out a pink stuffed rabbit from behind his back. "This is Usa-chan," the boy said, squatting down in front of Honey, "And you can have him if you come to Music Room #3 tomorrow at 3:00. I have someone I want you to meet. And if you decide to come, would you mind bringing Mori Sen-Pei?" The boy smiled, and Honey felt a strange sense of déjà-vu.

"How long will it take?" Honey asked. He forced himself not to reach out for the cute little rabbit.

"Not very long. Maybe a half hour, Honey Sen-Pei," the boy said.

"Okay. I'll bring Takashi."

The boy handed over Usa-chan, then picked up his books and left without another word, a spring in his step. Honey stared at the boy's retreating back, wondering who he was. How had he known Honey's secret weakness for cute things?


	2. The Spell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The students Haruhi have gathered together begin to receive strange new memories...

_"Life is a series of rude awakenings."_

_-Rip Van Winkle_

 

The next day the Hitachiin twins entered the Music Room to discover that the mysterious commoner had gathered together a strange menagerie of students.

There was Kyoya Ootori, a second year student with glasses and a reputation for manipulation. He had a cool aura about him, and was writing in his little black book when they showed up.

Mitsukuni 'Honey' Haninozuka, a third year, was there as well. The renowned judo and karate champion was holding a large pink stuffed rabbit, which clashed with his piercing dagger-like glare.

Behind him stood Takashi 'Mori' Morinozuka, Honey's cousin and fellow third year. He was quiet, the strong, silent type, but the Hitachiin twins knew that behind that cool exterior was a relentless fighting machine.

And then of course there was the mysterious commoner, still dressed in his loose sweater, untucked shirt, and huge ugly glasses, but Kaoru felt like there was something missing from the picture, like there was someone else who was supposed to be there. And from the looks on the other boys' faces, they felt it too.

"Alright," The boy said, "You're all here so I'm going to get this over with quickly." He started to pace as he talked, his chin balanced on his fingers. "My name is Haruhi Fujioka, and because I have very little time and do not feel like wasting it like we did the first time, I m going to tell you straight up what Kyoya has already figured out- I'm a girl."

The twins and the cousins gasped, while Kyoya touched the bridge of his glasses, a smug smile on his face.

"Get it over with, guys," She said, waving her hand in a gesture for them to hurry it up, "We've got work to do."

"We don't do work," The twins said in unison. "Do you think there's anything you can do to convince us otherwise?"

She smirked. "As a matter of fact, yes." She slipped on a pair of yellow latex gloves (of the kind that commoner janitors used to clean things with), walked over to a blue Renaissance vase on a pedestal, and then pushed it over.

"Wait, stop-" Honey's cry was cut off by the sound of the vase crashing to the ground. Suddenly a memory cut across all of their minds- the same vase crashing to the ground, but with Haruhi flailing about in panic instead of calmly pushing it over.

Kyoya looked around at the rest of the boys to see if they had experienced the same thing that he had. Seeing their shocked faces and gaping mouths, he determined they had. Then he turned to lock eyes with the mysterious Haruhi Fujioka. "What did you just do to us?" He demanded.

She arched an eyebrow smugly. "First answer me this: _now_ will you guys listen to me?"

The five of them nodded in unison, their curiosity overwhelming their caution.

"Good," she said, smiling, "Then let's get started, but first I need to know a few things. What does the name Tamaki Suoh mean to you?"

A flash of recognition, a memory of a memory, crossed Hikaru's brain, but it disappeared before he could latch onto it. "Nothing," he said, "I've never heard it before." Around him he could see the others nodding in agreement.

For the first time Haruhi actually seemed a bit disappointed. "I thought that would be so," She said, the slightest tone of sorrow lacing her voice. Then she brightened again. She pulled a photo out of her back pocket and handed it Kyoya, pulling off her gloves as she spoke. "Show it to everyone. Recognize it? Remember it?"

Kyoya scrutinized the photo as the others gathered around. "But that's not possible- you must have Photo-Shopped it."

She shook her head. "Nope," She said, almost happily, crossing her arms with an amused expression on her face.

The boys stared at the photo. It was a picture of them gathered around Haruhi, who was sitting in a red high-backed chair. There were slight differences, though- the twin's hair was spiked and wild instead of cut like bowls, Mori had a smile on his face, Honey was holding Usa-chan with an adorable look in his eyes, and Kyoya actually looked happy, his hand on the shoulder of a somehow familiar-looking blond-haired boy. But the strange thing was that he'd never met the boy before, as far as he remembered. And then there was Haruhi, who looked the most different with her hair combed back, contacts instead of glasses, and in a clean blue Ouran uniform.

Another memory shot through their minds, seemingly unconnected to the photo- them dancing at a ball, with them all dressed in what seemed like French cosplay. Haruhi was in a white dress, and each of them took their turn dancing with her.

"I know you got back a memory," Haruhi said excitedly, "I can see it in your faces. What was it? Please, you have to tell me."

Kaoru was the first to answer, his voice hushed. "A ball. You in a dress, Hikaru with a broken arm, and that strange blond boy and you dancing together with this look of absolute happiness in your eyes."

Haruhi sharply sucked in a breath. "The Ouran Fair," she said, "The last night before it happened."

Honey saw the tears beginning to gather in her eyes, and the tough facade he'd been building around himself for two years began to crack. "Haru-chan?" He asked hesitantly, "Are you okay?"

She smiled at him, but this time it wasn't confident like before, but instead wavering, trembling slightly. "You have no idea how much I've missed the sound of you saying that, Honey San-pei," She said.

Hikaru still didn't understand what she was talking about- none of them did, he saw as he looked around at their faces- but he knew something very strange was going on and that this girl was the only one who had any of the answers. And besides, he kind of liked her. She had a certain air about her that made him forget that she was a commoner, that she wasn't one of the twins. She was pulling him out of his shell little by little, and for the first time in his life he didn't mind the fact that someone was interrupting Kaoru and his ordinary routines.

In fact, as he looked at her smile, he decided that he might even come to enjoy it.


	3. The Glass Slipper

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Haruhi and the Hitachiin twins make incredible transformations, and the Hitachiin twins discover a secret of Haruhi's...

_"And if you close your eyes,_

_Does it almost feel like_

_You've been here before?"_

_-Bastille,_ Pompeii

 

"Okay," said Hikaru, examining her, "If you're going to be seen as a friend of the Hitachiin brothers, you have to look impeccable. You need to change your look- completely."

Haruhi giggled. No matter what they said she seemed to enjoy it. "Speak for yourselves. Have you seen the state of your hair lately?"

The twins cocked their heads, staring at her curiously. "What's wrong with our hair?" They asked simultaneously.

She laughed. "I'll fix your problem if you'll fix mine."

They asked together, "What's your problem?"

She smirked. "I need a new uniform to blend in here." She arched an eyebrow. "You remember boys remember how I looked in that photo, right?"

Hikaru swallowed, remembering how cute she'd looked. Wait, what had he just thought? Had he seriously thought about someone like that? It had never happened before in his life!

"Sure, Haruhi," The twins said together, "As long as you help us with whatever's wrong with our hair."

She smiled. "I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship." However, her words felt heavy, like they had a special resonance and meaning beyond their face value.

***

She waited behind the curtain, straightening her jacket. "Have you guys gotten your hair done yet?"

"Yeah," The twins chorused, "Why don't you come on out?"

She pulled back the curtain and stepped out. "What do you guys think?"

Their faces spoke for them- their jaws dropped and their eyes flew wide open. She smiled, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear, but then noticed a flicker in their eyes. "Another memory?" She asked, eager to hear what they had remembered.

"Just you throwing us out of the changing room before you changed into your uniform," Hikaru replied. He shot her a meaningful look. "But you didn't. We started outside of the curtain and we've been there getting our hair done the entire time. Haruhi, when are you going to explain this?"

"Not yet. Sorry, guys, I need to find out more before I can tell you everything."

"Haru-chan, I need your help! I lost my shoe!" They heard Honey call.

"Coming, Honey San-pei!" Haruhi called. "Just a minute, guys. I'll be back in a little bit!" Then she ran off and Hikaru noticed a small object fall out of her pocket. She didn't notice, however, so he let her leave. Sure, it may have been a bit selfish, but he wanted to know more about her so badly.

Once she was gone he darted forward and picked it up. "What the-?" He cried incredulously, examining the small silver cross carved with small rose designs and a small blue stone embedded in the center.

"That doesn't look like something that girl would normally carry around, Hikaru," Kaoru said as he peeked over Hikaru's shoulder. "You've met Haruhi- she's not the girly type. Do you think it has some kind of sentimental value to her?"

Hikaru flipped it over, and held the cross up closer to his eyes as he read the small words carved on the back. " _Pour mon amour, la femme la plus merveilleuse du monde_." He looked at Kaoru. "What in the world does that mean? All I can tell is that it's French. Stupid language- it's even harder to understand than English."

Kaoru closed his eyes. "That means ' _For my love, the most wonderful woman in the world',"_ His eyes flew open. "How in the world did I know that? I've never studied French before. **I don't even know any French!"** _  
_

"Another mystery," Hikaru said, draping an arm around Kaoru's trembling shoulder. "This girl is getting more and more interesting."


	4. The Mice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kyoya has remembered more than anyone else. His flower is blooming, but swiftly turning black...

_"To sleep,_

_perchance to dream..."_

_-Shakespeare,_ Hamlet

 

Kyoya saw things about Haruhi that no one else saw- how she kept her right hand in her pocket nearly all the time, and how she tilted her head just so when thinking about something. He saw the sorrow that she tried to keep hidden behind her blinding smile, and he knew that whatever had happened before had changed something within her.

For you see, Kyoya remembered far more about what was going on than the others. Sure, he didn't remember everything- not even close- but for sure he knew more than Hikaru and Kaoru. He remembered what had happened at the beach and how he had met the strange, idiotic, endearing blond Tamaki Suoh. He remembered the flower of his destiny bursting out of his frame, his personality exploding in a glorious array of colors against a blank wall.

And as much as Kyoya Ootori tried to deny it to himself, he had loved it. Every second of rebellion, every moment that he felt he finally had control over something in his life- and he wanted that feeling back. Not because he was power hungry, per se, but because he wanted to know what it was like to do something his father hadn't specifically set out for him to do. It was a test of courage, intelligence, and willpower, and most importantly (though this particular reason was buried deep within Kyoya's heart, so far in that perhaps no one would ever be able to pull it out), he missed the blond idiot he had come to call his best friend, and he missed the Host Club. Or at least the memories he had been receiving of it.

So when Haruhi broached the subject of creating a Host Club at Ouran, Kyoya jumped at the chance, trying not to appear too excited. "Yes, why not?" He responded, raising his index and middle fingers to the bridge of his glasses as he often did while thinking. He closed his eyes, trying to appear nonchalant, but inside his heart was hammering against his chest in excitement. A strange image popped into his head- one of this strange boy Tamaki laughing under a kotatsu as Kyoya playfully kicked him in the head.

The rest of the boys looked at her curiously. "What's a Host club? Is it that thing I keep seeing in my memories?" Hikaru asked. Everyone else added in their confusion, while Kyoya didn't. Then Kyoya realized his mistake.  _Dammit,_ Kyoya thought,  _I'm not supposed to know what that is._

But fortunately the rest of the guys had overlooked his mistake. Kyoya breathed a silent sigh of relief, then realized that he had never had any occasion to worry. Unless they had gone into the room suspicious of Kyoya, he had given them no reason to think so.

"A Host Club is where you use your special talents to make your guests happy. You flirt with girls for an hour, help resolve their problems, and in general have fun doing it. You take advantage of each guy's special talents to appeal to your 'clients'." She turned to Honey. "Honey Sen-pei, you and Usa-chan are quite cute." She smiled. "Even  _I_ will admit that. You remind people of a cute little kid, or a puppy. Some girls like that and find comfort in that." She turned to Mori, missing the sight of Honey's jaw dropping.

"Mori Sen-pei, you are the strong, silent type. Your strength is what girls might turn to in order to lean on, and watching your loyalty to Honey makes girls feel better about their own relationships. I remember when Asuke Kanda confessed that she loved you but that she was very happy that you cared so much about Honey." From the look of confusion and surprise in Mori's eyes, he was getting back another memory. Haruhi wasn't the only one who could tell when someone was getting a memory anymore- Kyoya learned fast.

Kyoya realized that Haruhi was going about this differently than Tamaki had. Tamaki had just asked if they would join the club, and they had gone along and he had explained after they had joined. Haruhi, as a commoner, was being forced to explain, but instead of appealing to their masculine sides she was appealing to their sympathies, trying to get them to join in order to help others. 

Haruhi turned to the twins, and Kyoya resisted the urge to smile.  _This is going to be interesting,_ he thought. "You two boys are going to use the aspect of brotherly love to draw girls in."

"Brotherly love?" The twins asked, then flinched. They were receiving another memory.

"Yeah. if you remember- and I see you do, so I don't have to explain- then you'll know how girls were able to escape their own troubles by fantasizing about the two of you." She chuckled. "You guys were really good actors."

Then she turned to Kyoya. _Damn it_ , he thought,  _What is she going to say to me?_ "Kyoya Sen-pei, you are the cool type. You're also pretty smart, and can manage the finances of the Club."

" _Yeah,_ " He wanted to say, " _I already know. I remember what I did before_ ," but he didn't. He didn't want to give up his secrets- after all, who would trade power for friendship? He felt something twist in his heart, but quickly buried the feeling. He didn't realize that his flower was bursting out of its frame, but that it was quickly turning black and white, no longer filled with the color and personality that it had when his life was being touched by Tamaki Suoh.

"So, do you guys want to join the Host Club?" Haruhi asked.

To Kyoya's surprise, all the boys nodded without protest. They were joining without a second thought- maybe they were all a lot kinder than he thought they were? Then again, maybe the only reason they were going along with what she said because they wanted to know the truth about the mysterious girl and her affect on their memories.


	5. The Ball

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not done yet!

_"Figures dancing gracefully_

_Across my memory..."_

-Once Upon A December 

 

It was the first meeting of the Host Club, and Haruhi had stepped into the role of Tamaki Suoh, the mysterious Host Club King who had been popping up in all of the memories they had been getting, and chosen their theme. When the girls crossed the threshold, stepping through the veil of roses, they found the six Host Club members dressed in tailcoats of the late Victorian Age of England complete with pocket watches, handkerchiefs, and hats. The twins wore matching yellow tailcoats with red handkerchiefs tucked into the breast pocket and red pageboy caps. Mori had on a dark blue suit with a white shirt and a black top hat. Kyoya didn't need a hat- with his glasses he already looked the part- and his jacket was black with dark purple accents. Honey looked adorable in a sky blue suit with a rose pink handkerchief and shiny shoes. Haruhi had taken over Tamaki's color scheme of white and gold.

The doors were about to be opened for business. Honey looked up to Haruhi, smiling sweetly with Usa-chan in his arms. "Don't I look cute, Haru-chan?"

She smiled back at him. "Course you do, Honey Sen-pei," she said, and ruffled his hair. "And Mori Sen-pei looks perfectly fine as well." Mori gave her the slightest smile.

She turned to the twins. "Remember to play up the brotherly love, boys," She said. "This is your first ball, so we have to impress." She smiled at them and Hikaru's heartbeat began to quicken.

Then she looked at Kyoya. She sighed. "No matter how much you've changed, you always know what to do, Kyoya San-pei. Just continue acting cool and aloof- that approach always draws in the ladies for you."

She stepped back and surveyed her boys. They all looked quite nice tonight- she was proud of how well they all cleaned up. Okay, she thought, time for the speech. She knew she was taking things in a radically different direction than Tamaki Sen-pei had- she just hoped it wouldn't be too far. "Boys," she said, "Tonight you become men. There is magic in the air during a ball- anything can happen. Wishes can come true, loves can be found, and truly magical kisses can happen."

"What, like your first one?" The twins asked, snickering as the memory of Haruhi's first ball popped into their minds.

Dear God, Haruhi wished that some of those memories had stayed buried. It was hard enough trying to get them to do things right when she had the power of mystery to entrance them with- how would she keep their attention when they knew all of her embarrassing secrets? 

"No," she said, a bit more forcefully than she'd intended to, "Your kisses will be different, Hitachiin brothers. A gift from your heart, lovingly given." She held her arms out wide, gesturing to the entire group. "You'll have girls swooning and fighting over you, all of you, though for different reasons of course. Tonight's your night. Go out and shine!" Her warm smile gave them all a boost of courage as the doors to the ballroom opened to reveal a mass of dressed-up girls.

Hikaru and Kaoru simultaneously took in a sharp breath. This was going to be an interesting night.

***

Haruhi placed her right hand on Tomoyo's waist and clasped Tomoyo's right hand in her left. It was always an...interesting...experience dancing with another girl, especially to such a slow, romantic song.

Tomoyo cocked her head at Haruhi, looking at her with adoring eyes. "You're so good at this, Fujioka!" Tomoyo gushed. The feeling of warmth disappeared from Haruhi's stomach, replaced by the cool, all-too-familiar feeling of wrongness and regret. She suddenly yearned for it to be Tamaki dancing with her, not some random girl she barely knew.

However, she kept smiling. There was no need for her sorrow to ruin this nice girl's evening, and plus, she had to make this ball a success. If she wanted the boys to remember everything and to get her to the place she wanted to be, then she had to get them to that final tipping point, when they would get to finally meet their true leader- and she would get to see Tamaki again.

"Thank you, my princess," She said smoothly as she dipped Tomoyo. The girl nearly swooned and Haruhi held back a smile. She was succeeding, and why wouldn't she? She'd learned from the very best, after all.

***

Honey spun a girl in a pink dress around energetically while Mori danced stoically with a tall, curly-haired girl beside him. Then they switched off to another partner. It seemed like all the girls wanted a glimpse of the cute martial artist and his silent, intense cousin.

The Hitachiin twins were dancing their way through many girls, and for their first time they were doing a pretty good job of acting gay. Every few moments they'd send another girl off, catch each other in their arms, and gaze lovingly into each other's eyes, his perking words of affection to each other. Then they'd break off and each would dance with a new girl. You'd think that being ditched would put a girl off, but no- it seemed like the more times they sent off a girl the more girls wanted to dance with them. All the girls waiting in the unofficial line that had been developing were giggling and whispering to each other, all under the twins' spell.

Kyoya observed all of this while dancing with the girls, all of whom wanted a taste of his cool, intelligent personality. None of the girls would ever get more than a glimpse- he was saving his kisses for someone special. But that didn't prevent him from leaving them with a soft, alluring word in their ear, a graceful touch on their shoulders. His handsome looks made him irresistible to many girls. Though Haruhi may have been the 'King' of the Host Club in this lifetime, Kyoya Ootori's dark looks and charming smile made him the ball's Prince Charming.

***

The song ended and the two partners let go of each other. Ayu Shintaro curtsied and Haruhi bowed. "Have a good night, my princess," Haruhi said, and winked. Ayu nearly fainted, but managed to gather herself enough to head over to her friend at the buffet and eat sushi, then squeal over Haruhi.

Haruhi looked back at the line of girls waiting for a dance with her. She barely resisted the urge to sigh. It was going to be a long, exhausting night catering to all these girls. She'd liked it better when it had just been her one trio of fans- they'd been easier to handle. How had Tamaki managed it all?

Hikaru sidled up to her, holding a plate of sushi. "Here, Haruhi," he said, "Do you want some before your next dance?"

She was careful how she responded, not wanting to reveal anything to the next girl in line. "Thank you, Hikaru," she said, then took the offered fork and speared a piece of sushi.


	6. The Cinders

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back in Haruhi's original dimension, the boys scramble to figure out what happened to her when she disappears before Tamaki's very eyes...
> 
> NOT DONE YET!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading this far. This chapter may seem a bit confusing, so let me explain. The story so far has taken place in an alternate dimension that Haruhi was sent to. She has no idea how, but has been trying to solve everything while putting the Host Club back together.  
> Back in her world, Tamaki and the boys she knew have been trying to figure out where she disappeared to.

_"There's a time for daring and there's a time for caution,_

_and a wise man understands which is called for."_

_-John Keating,_ Dead Poets' Society

 

**Back in Haruhi's World**

 

Kyoya's phone rang. He was in his car, on the way back to his house after the ball. They'd stopped Tamaki from making the stupidest mistake of his life and then gotten the chance to dance with Haruhi. She'd gone home in the Suoh family's car- it had started to rain and her dad had been late.

Kyoya picked up his phone and checked the caller- Tamaki Suoh. He smiled and answered the phone. What had the idiot managed to get himself into in the fifteen minutes since they'd last seen each other?

"KYOYA!" Tamaki screamed. Kyoya's smile slipped off his lips. "I KISSED HARUHI AND SHE DISAPPEARED! WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON?"

"What do you mean, she disappeared?" Kyoya asked, sitting forward in interest. He cared about Haruhi- they all did- but he refused to get flustered over what was probably a prank of the twins. Wait a moment, did Tamaki just say that he and Haruhi had kissed? Kyoya' eye widened.

"SHE JUST DID! HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO KNOW HOW? WHERE IS MY HARUHI, KYOYA?" Tamaki paused, and when he spoke again his voice was lower, full of worry and concern, "I said I'd protect her. What's going on, Kyoya? You're the smart one- what happened?"

"I don't know, Tamaki, but I'll be there soon. Call the twins and the cousins and tell them to meet us at your house. We'll figure it out, and if someone's done something to Haruhi Fujioka you know that there is nowhere in the world that they will be safe from the Host Club." Kyoya's eyes flared, and he managed to keep his voice level. He too was worried about the newest member of the Host Club, though he wouldn't admit it. He also knew that he was the only one besides Haruhi who could get the Club's King to calm down.

"Okay, Kyoya. I'll call them and meet you there in ten minutes." Tamaki hung up, but not before Kyoya detected the tremble in his voice. Tamaki cared deeply about Haruhi Fujioka, and he was sincerely worried. You had to give the blond idiot that- he was probably the most genuine person Kyoya had ever met.

Kyoya leaned forward and pressed the button that relayed messages to the chauffeur. "Change of plans," he said, "We're going to the Suoh estate."

 

The Hitachiin twins, at the doors to the Suoh mansion, were the first to get alternate memories. They were running up the steps leading up to the mansion's ornate front French doors when they were hit by a vision of themselves meeting Haruhi for the first time, but in utterly different circumstances- they were in their first year, but looked and acted like they did in middle school. She somehow knew who they were, though they had never met her before in the memory. 

They snapped out of it when they hit the door. The twins looked at each other, shock in their eyes. "Did you see that?" They asked simultaneously. Without even needing a nod to confirm it they knew that the same thing had happened to both of them. Even after two years of acting separately they still could read each other as well as if they were the same person.

Hikaru swallowed and knocked on the door. Tamaki answered it. He grinned when he saw who it was. "You're still here!" He shouted happily.

"Yeah, boss," Kaoru replied, and then gave Hikaru a look that said _'He's an idiot._ '

'You just talked to us earlier," Hikaru continued, responding with an _'I know_ ' glance.

"Come in, come in," Tamaki said as he ushered them in, completely missing the twins' silent exchange.

The twins found Mori, Honet, and Kyoya inside. The cousins sat on the sofa and Kyoya stood to the side, his black book in hand. They were all still in their costumes, everything slightly damp from the rain. Kyoya and the cousins had shed their coats, revealing the white tank tops underneath.

Everyone's concern was evident, though maybe not as obvious as Tamaki's. Even Mori, who rarely showed emotion, had a forehead creased with worry. Kaoru realized that Haruhi had become kind of like a little sister to them all, even the ones who had a crush on her (though in a different kind of way), and that they would do anything to protect her.

"So, boss," Hikaru said, "What are we going to do?"

Tamaki's face was white, drained of all color. It was more obvious than ever that he didn't know what to do. Normally he was so confident that no one realized that he didn't know what to do.

Kyoya stepped forward, drying off his glasses. You could see why they called him the Shadow King- he always seemed to know what to do, and whenever Tamaki was out of his depth (which was always), Kyoya could lead them. But the difference between then and now was that before he had ruled from the shadows, content to let Tamaki make the final decisions, and now he was taking an active role. Something had shifted within Kyoya- something  _big._

But before Kyoya had the chance to speak, the second floor rumbled. "IT'S COMING FROM MY ROOM!" Tamaki shouted, cowering behind Kyoya. It was obvious his nerves were shot.

Kyoya sighed, and pushed his glasses onto his nose. "Of course it is," He said.  _'You idiot'_ didn't need to be added.

They headed upstairs to Tamaki's room. Kaoru stepped forward and knocked on the door. The lights flickered. The twins swallowed and exchanged a nervous glance. It was like their lives had been replaced by some whacked-up American sci-fi movie.

The door opened and a familiar-looking boy stepped out. The twins' jaws dropped, quickly followed by everyone else's. "This cannot be happening," Hikaru said.

A boy identical to them had just stumbled out of Tamaki's bedroom.


End file.
